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Episode:26'
"Sincerely Yours" is episode 26' of Neon Genesis Evangelion. It aired as a corresponding "replacement" episode for Episode 26, along with Episode 25' , the two of which combined make up The End of Evangelion. Overview Rei rejects Gendo, and begins Third Impact by merging with Lilith. Rei allows Shinji to determine the course of Instrumentality. After Shinji rejects the existing world, the giant Lilith/Rei creates an Anti-A.T. Field that dissolves all life on Earth into LCL. This forces all human souls to combine into a single lifeform. After a discussion about the meaning of existence with Rei and Kaworu, and deciding that the joy of connecting with others outweighs the risk of being hurt, Shinji rejects Instrumentality. Rei/Lilith disentegrates, and all of the human souls collected by her return to the Earth. Shinji's body is reconstituted, and he wakes up on the shores of a sea of LCL, finding Asuka laying next to him. Shinji, still emotionally fragile after the trauma of Instrumentality, begins to strangle her. He relents when Asuka affectionately caresses his face. Shinji breaks down, sobbing uncontrollably. Synopsis SEELE seeks to take possession of Evangelion Unit-01 to implement its preferred vision of the Third Impact, which is in conflict with that Gendo's own plan. A determined attack by the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force, carried out under SEELE's influence, brings NERV's defenses to its breaking point. Misato and Asuka are dead, and Unit-02 has been decimated by SEELE's Mass Production Evangelions. The Ritual Begins As Ritsuko's lifeless body floats in a pool of LCL, Gendo and a naked Rei stand beneath a crucified Lillith. Gendo says that through a forbidden merger of Adam and Lilith, he can be reunited with his wife Yui. Rei's arm falls away from the rest of her body, exposing bones and tendons. This indicates that Rei's A.T. Field is weakening, and Gendo muses that their time is running out. He asks Rei to lower her A.T. field. This will allow him to merge the embryo of Adam embedded in his hand with Rei, the vessel for Lilith's soul. She flinches as Gendo inserts his hand into her breast. Shinji, still piloting Unit-01, hovers in the dark and swirling skies above the GeoFront. He screams in horror and anger after seeing the mangled remains of Unit-02 beneath him. In response, the Evangelion's wings of light transform into a giant crucifix. Below, within Terminal Dogma, Rei senses Shinji's pain. The real Lance of Longinus, which has been stuck on the surface of the moon since it was used to defeat Arael, is flung back towards the Earth. The Lance stops its flight just in front of Unit-01's throat. The assembled monoliths of SEELE celebrate the return of the Lance. Believing that this development will allow their version of Human Instrumentality to be fulfilled, they perform a commencement ritual. SEELE beseeches the Evangelions to return to their true form so that humanity can return to its true form. The winged Mass Production Evangelions use their spears to crucify Unit-01 and recreate the stigmata of Christ. The automated Evangelions bite into Unit-01's crucifix of light, lifting Shinji higher into the sky. Shinji looks down at his hands, and sees the same stigmata that are imposed on the hands of his Evangelion. The Mass Production Evangelions release Shinji, then arrange themselves in a pattern around Unit-01. They begin to overload their S² engines, forming an image of the Sephirothic Tree of Life. Monitoring the situation at NERV Headquarters, Fuyutsuki posits that the automated Evangelions are generating Anti-A.T. Fields. Maya says that the sensor readings are identical to the data from Second Impact. The S² engines of the Mass Production Evangelions finally overload, causing an enormous, eye-shaped explosion that engulfs large portions of Japan. The blast destroys the remaining JSSDF forces, and wipes away the layers of earth and armor surrounding GeoFront. For the first time in millennia, the Black Moon of Lilith, the birthplace of humanity, is exposed. Back in Terminal Dogma, Rei absorbs Adam's embryo within her body, and Gendo's hand along with it. As Gendo recoils in pain, Rei rejects him, declaring that she is not his "doll." She restores her A.T. Field and regenerates her missing arm. Rei levitates towards Lilith as Gendo begs her to change her mind. She refuses, telling Gendo that Shinji is calling to her. Hovering before Lilith, Rei declares that she is home. Lilith replies, "Welcome back." Rei is absorbed into Lilith's body, which begins to regenerate. Lilith frees herself from the crucifix that kept her in captivity. Her mask falls away, and her gigantic body assumes Rei's naked form. NERV sensors render Lilith/Rei as both an Angel and a human being. The giant Lilith/Rei breathlessly passes through the NERV command center and the bodies of the remaining senior staff. She continues to rise until standing erect among the clouds and Unit-01. Shinji, holding Misato's bloody necklace, yells with confused fear when Lilith/Rei looks into his eyes. The Mass Production Evangelions assume a new formation around Lilith/Rei, and they begin to merge with the giant. Each automated Evangelion takes on Rei's visage. This transformation causes Unit-01 and its destabilized pilot to roar in unison. As Shinji's ego reaches its breaking point, his Evangelion's armor bursts open, exposing its core. Lilith/Rei mutates into Kaworu, which calms Shinji. The Lance of Longinus finally pierces Unit-01's core. The combination of the Fruit of Life from the Angels and the Fruit of Knowledge from humanity transforms the purple Evangelion into a physical manifestation of the Tree of Life. Below, Fuyutsuki observes that in this state, Unit-01 has become an equivalent to God. He declares the future of mankind now rests in Shinji's hands. With a look of ecstasy on his face, Shinji has a vision of a woman's breasts and melts away. Shinji's Choice Taking the form of a child, Shinji finds himself on a playground. The playground has the trappings of a movie set, with stage lights and scaffolding surrounding it. As a swing sways in the distance, two doll-like girls who resemble Rei and Asuka ask Shinji to help them finish building a castle in a sandbox. The "castle" looks like a partially destroyed GeoFront pyramid. The doll-like girls depart with their "mother," who has an appearance similar to Misato. Now alone, a sobbing Shinji finishes constructing the pyramid, then destroys it in a fit of rage. After a moment of hesitation, he begins to build the pyramid once again. Shinji has a vision of himself, naked, with Asuka on top of him, as if they are having sex. She says she can't stand the sign of him, but Shinji replies that it is because he's just like her. Shinji then jumps to a scene from the past: Misato and Kaji in college, missing class and staying in for a full week to make love over and over again. As he watches them have sex, Shinji's looks disgusted. Misato tells him this is a part of her that he never knew before, and can only know now that their hearts are "melded." Time jumps again, and Shinji revisits his memory of kissing Asuka. She accuses him of not caring or knowing anything about her. Shinji retorts that she never let him in or talked to him at all. Asuka tells him that she knows about him masturbating over her naked body, and goads him to do it again. Finding themselves on board the "dream train" with Rei watching, Asuka tells Shinji that if he cannot belong to her completely, she does not want him. Shinji wonders why no one is nice to him. A combined vision of Rei, Misato, and Asuka insist that they are nice to him. Shinji accuses all three of lying, and allowing the parameters of their respective relationships to remain vague. Shinji returns to a vision of the kitchen in Misato's apartment. He tells a sullen Asuka that he wants to be with her forever, that she is the only one for him. Asuka replies that Shinji doesn't actually care about her or anyone else, he just wants someone—anyone—to pay attention to him. She angrily pushes him, knocking over Misato's coffeemaker. Shinji falls to the ground, burned by the spilled, scalding coffee. He wearily gets up, then tosses the table and chairs in the kitchen around while begging Asuka to help him. She stares down at him and refuses. Shinji hesitates for a moment, then begins to strangle Asuka, lifting her off her feet. Human Instrumentality begins. Instrumentality Realized and Rejected Visions of Shinji strangling Asuka are interspersed with images of Naoko strangling Rei as a child, and an growling, enraged Unit-01. Stung by Asuka's final rejection, a resigned Shinji claims that the world would be better off if he and the rest of humanity perished. In response to Shinji's wishes, Unit-01/The Tree of Life begin to rise into the sky together with the Black Moon. Lilith/Rei takes the Black Moon into her hands and giant wings sprout from her back. Stigmata appear on her hands. Lilith/Rei generates an Anti-A.T. Field strong enough to prevent all life from maintaining their physical forms. WIthin NERV Headquarters, Fuyutsuki observes that the Chamber of Guf, the well of human souls, has reopened. Visions of Rei hover over the lifeless bodies of NERV personnel and JSSDF soldiers still within the Black Moon. The Anti-A.T. Field generated by Lilith/Rei causes the bodies to dissolve into LCL. An apparition of Rei appears above the dissolved bodies of both Ritsuko and Misato. Each of the remaining NERV senior staff members dissolve into LCL as they watch an image of Rei transform into another person from their lives. For Hyuga, Rei turns into Misato; for Maya, Ritsuko; for Fuyutsuki, Yui. Aoba sees no one else, but is hounded by several apparitions of Rei before he dissolves. The monoliths of SEELE deactivate as their corresponding member dissolves into LCL. Keel Lorenz is the last to dissolve, and his many cybernetic implants lay within the pool of LCL created by his dissolution. Gendo lies on the ground in Terminal Dogma. He is finally reunited with his beloved Yui. Gendo confesses that his own self-loathing caused him to push Shinji away, so that he would avoid hurting the boy. Visions of both Rei and Kaworu join Yui, pointing out that Gendo was so afraid of rejection by other people that he shut out the world around him. Gendo finds himself being held in the hands of Unit-01. He comes to understand that he will face punishment for his actions in life, and apologizes to Shinji in abstentia. The purple Evangelion then bites off Gendo's torso, killing him. Gendo's bloody legs are left standing erect in the background as a bandaged Rei II picks up his fallen eyeglasses. She is joined by Rei I, the child killed by Naoko, and a naked Rei III. Above the Earth, the Mass Production Evangelions writhe and moan in euphoria as they impale their own cores with replicas of the Lance of Longinus. All of the human souls on the planet float towards the Black Moon, reentering the Chamber of Guf. Each soul leaves behind a green crucifix of light in its wake. As Instrumentality continues, Unit-01/The Tree of Life is absorbed by Lilith/Rei's through a third eye that appears on her forehead. A torrent of images assaults Shinji as he hears many voices making statements rejecting him. Several visions of unanimated "real life" appear: an empty movie theater, a movie theater filled with people, a train, power lines, a swing, a mass of people walking down a busy street, and the skyline of Tokyo-3 before its destruction. Three women appear standing still in a moving crowd, followed by an image of three people walking through a marketplace dressed up as Rei, Asuka, and Misato. Shinji asks Rei what the difference is between dreams and reality. Rei tells him that he conjured up dreams as a convenient fantasy to escape reality. As Rei tells Shinji that reality begins where dreams inevitably end, a gash opens on Lilith/Rei's neck, releasing a fountain of LCL that reaches the moon. The gigantic Lilith/Rei begins to collapse and fall back towards the Earth. Shinji sees an an image of Rei merged with his own body, and asks her where they are now. Rei explains that they are in a sea of LCL, and his soul is merged with the souls of the rest of humanity. Shinji looks at his hand and sees that he is still holding Misato's necklace. He expresses dissatisfaction with the lonely reality of Instrumentality. Rei warns him that rejecting this transformation will allow A.T. Fields, which are formed by an individual's fear of others, to return. Shinji admits knowing that his hopes of connecting with other people will eventually ring hollow, and at some point he will be betrayed or abandoned by others. However, Shinji accepts that the opportunity to experience the real joy he felt in forming connections with people is worth the risk of being hurt again. He now understands that his past feelings, whether they took the form of happiness or sadness, were at least genuine. Human Instrumentality begins to reverse itself. The gigantic body of Lilith/Rei begins to fall apart as her Anti-A.T. Field disappears. Her wings dissolve. Her limbs and head separate and fall away. The stigmata on her hands are sealed. Unit-01 bursts out of one of her eyes and sprouts several wings of light. The reconstitution of A.T. Fields causes the Chamber of Guf to reopen. The Black Moon begins to dissolve before exploding completely. The human souls contained within it all descend to the Earth. The replica Lances of Longinus impaling each Mass Production Evangelion erupt, causing each of the automated Evangelions to wither away and fall towards the planet's surface. Unit-01 pulls the real Lance of Longinus from its core, and the Lance changes form to the symbol of infinity. An image of Rei observes as the purple Evangelion deactivates and becomes petrified. The voices of Kaworu, Rei, and Yui reassure Shinji that each human soul can reclaim its physical form if it so chooses. Yui tells him that, "As long as there is the sun, the moon, and the Earth, it will all work out." As the reversal of Instrumentality is nearly fulfilled, Shinji speaks to his mother for the last time. Yui asks Shinji if he will be okay. He replies that he knows he will be trapped in a cycle of misunderstanding the nature of happiness. However, Shinji now understands that enduring this cycle will allow him to remain alive as an individual. Now wearing Misato's necklace, Shinji then asks Yui whether she will be okay. He sees the past, back when he was a child. As she holds Shinji, Yui tells Fuyutsuki that her goal is to have her soul transferred to an Evangelion. That way, she can persist forever as proof of humanity's existence, long after humans are extinct and the solar system is no more. Shinji wishes his mother farewell. Unit-01, with Yui's soul within it, floats way from the Earth, entering the endless void of deep space. His body now physically reconstituted, Shinji emerges from the sea of LCL. He watches as the gigantic head of Lilith/Rei splits in two in front of him. One More Final Half of Lilith/Rei's gigantic head eerily stands guard in the distance, watching over several wooden posts that are stuck in the ground. One post has been broken in half. One of the posts has the crucifix from Misato's necklace nailed to it, but the nail holding crucifix has rusted away. The petrified bodies of the Mass Production Evangelions, their arms outstretched as if crucified, are scattered throughout the landscape. Waves from the orange sea of LCL continue to ebb and flow along the shore. An airborne stream of LCL pierces the night sky, bisecting the distant but full moon. Shinji appears on the shore, laying next to Asuka. Her body is heavily bandaged. Hearing the sound of a drop of liquid, Shinji turns and sees a vision of Rei hovering over the banks of the LCL sea. He blinks, and Rei disappears. Shinji sits up, and finally takes notice of Asuka laying beside him. Shinji begins to strangle Asuka. She recoils, but rather than responding with characteristic violence, Asuka affectionately caresses his face with her bandaged hand. A surprised Shinji releases his grip on her. He slumps over and begins to sob uncontrollably. Asuka stares into the sky above before looking back down at him. As Shinji continues to cry, Asuka mutters: "Disgusting/I feel sick." THE END. Quotes *'Fuyutsuki': "The Seed of Life...and the Seed of Wisdom have been both acquired by Eva Unit 01. It is now equal to God. Will it be an ark to save humanity from the nihil of the Third Impact...or become a demon to annihilate humanity? Our future is up to Ikari's son." *'Asuka': "How disgusting" (alt. "I feel sick"). See also *Episode 26 Category:Episodes